EPA to clean up wastewater flowing from Colorado mines

The US Environment Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to clean up wastewater flowing from neaby mines into rivers of southwestern Colorado.

It intends to dredge tainted sediment and dig ditches so that water flows away from contaminated rocks and soil.

As per the interim plan, the agency’s immediate concern is to stop toxic metals from flowing into rivers whilst exploring a more permanent solution under the Superfund scheme, reported Associated Press.

Presence of metals such as cadmium, copper, aluminum, iron, lead and zinc are particularly high in the chosen 26 sites. Out of these sites, five are recreational locations.

This plan will focus on not only removing but also controlling contaminants at 26 sites including ponds, rivers and campgrounds. The work is expected to take up to five years.

Superfund project manager Christina Progess was quoted by the news agency as saying: “EPA is interested in expediting cleanup so that we can show improvements in water quality wherever possible.”

This cleanup is being taken up following a 2015 wastewater spill at the inactive mine near Silverton.

An EPA-led contractor team was excavating at the Gold King mine entrance when accidentally 3 million gallons of wastewater flushed out, flowing into rivers, which inturn impacted the states of Colorado, New Mexico and Utah.

The interim work plan has not chosen Gold King on the list of 26 sites as a temporary treatment plant installed just two months following the spill of wastewater.

In total, the Superfund cleanup will include 48 mining sites, but for the interim work only 26 were chosen.

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